Untouchable
by RiaRia
Summary: I had always been the girl that no guy could ever get. I made myself that way. But now, that's changed. I want to be his...I want him to be mine. Quil/Claire.
1. Chapter 1

_Okay, so in this story Claire is from La Push, and not the Makah reservation near La Push. You'll understand why later. :] So this is a Claire/Quil story. Hope you like._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the book. Sad, but true._

"Stop screwing with the wheel!"

I screamed as I swerved, narrowly missing a squirrel taking a nap in the middle of the road. I straightened my path out and turned to give Tommy a death glare. "Is it your goal in life to kill us on this trip or do you really just love to piss me off?"

He turned to give me a mocking smile. "More the latter than the former Sis."

I huffed and turned back to the road. "You are absolutely impossible."

Tommy rolled his eyes in my direction and went back to toying with his cell phone like a true younger brother. Biologically, I was a year older than Tom, but physically, Tommy looked like he was at least two years older than me. This past year Tommy went from being a fourteen-year-old shrimp to a fifteen-year- old-body-builder-look-alike. He denies steroid use, but it is seriously abnormal for a fifteen year old boy to grow so fast and become so big.

"My God, where are we?" I muttered under my breath. "In a _The Hills Have Eyes _movie? Where is civilization!"

My brother snorted. "More like the trees have eyes. Jesus, I didn't think this many trees in a ten mile radius was possible. Hell, I didn't think that this many trees _period _was possible."

"Why in the world would mom and John have ever lived here? Where would mom get her shopping fix, where would John get his playboy?" I snickered.

My mother and her husband/my-step father John hadn't always been the New York royalty they were today. Mom had been born and raised on a little Indian reservation in Washington, a placed named La Push. That's where we were headed. John had grown up in Seattle, but was still from Indian descent. They had moved away from Washington, and to New York, about fourteen years ago. Come to think of it, they never really told us, my siblings and I, why. I had always assumed it was to further their careers. John was a man worth eight digits nowadays, and he and my mom definitely lived the high life. He was CEO of a large internet website that was growing in popularity every day, and a very successful investor. Mom, well, she used to work and be independent. However, now she spent more time out with her girlfriends than she did at home. She was the typical New York housewife. And I had grown to hate her for it.

My mom and John weren't the people they used to be. She used to be a caring mother, and he used to be a responsible dad. They used to love each other. Now they only pretend to love each other for shown, even when everybody already know that they screw other people behind the scenes. They had given up on each other, and had lost interest in their children. I think they got tired of pretending to care for Tommy and I, and that's the reason why they just shipped us off to the middle of nowhere. They had stopped caring years ago, and now they were starting to admit it.

Tommy chuckled and turned to stare out the window, returning to his previously dejected mood.

"Come on, Tom. Don't be lame, this isn't going to be that bad and you know it."

Tommy turned to give me exasperated look. "No, Cee. You know that this _is_ going to be bad and you're just trying to feed me bullshit so I don't jump out of the car on your watch."

"Ugh, you are such a drama queen. Look at the bright side of this-"

"What bright side? There's no fucking sun. It looks like it's going to rain…"

I rolled my eyes and gave him a pointed "shut-up-and-listen-to-me" look. "As I was saying…there are tons of new opportunities just waiting for you here."

"Like what, becoming a professional lumberjack? Or maybe a bear fighter…"

"Shut the hell up and listen to me you pansy. I'm trying to cheer you up!"

Tommy just raised an eyebrow and started laughing. I banged my head on the steering wheel, causing the obnoxious horn to blaze. That just made Tommy laugh harder, and before I knew it, I had joined him.

Tommy was the first to finish laughing. "Well, you're not really succeeding."

"Huh?" I asked, not remembering what we were talking about before.

Tommy turned and looked at me with his large brown eyes, very different from my smaller blue eyes. Tommy and I had never looked very alike. He was a tall, built boy who's Indian heritage showed through in every aspect. I was a petite, pale girl who couldn't look any farther away from being a descendant of Indian heritage. It made sense that we didn't look alike though, for he and I only shared one parent. His dad, John Jersen, had married my mom when I was one. They had met when mom was pregnant with me, which I found pretty hilarious. Not many men hit on pregnant women, but John had said numerous times that as soon as he saw mom, he new she was the one. Large stomach, fat ankles, and all.

Tom had been a honeymoon baby, which Marc and I had teased him about endlessly. Marc was John's only child from his first marriage. Although Marc and I hadn't been related by blood, we were always the closest of siblings. Or, once upon a time we were.

"The cheering up, Cee. You're not succeeding." He said with a sad smile. I felt bad for the kid. I mean, I was in the same situation, but he was taking it much harder. But hey, he was a fifteen year old kid being ripped away from the only life he knew. Who could blame him for having less than positive feelings about the situation.

I checked to make sure the road was clear before taking one hand off the wheel and clapping it on his shoulder. "Hey, why don't you try to be a little positive about this Tom. It's not going to help if you go in frowning."

He shrugged my should off and turned back to his window. "No. I'm not going to pretend to be fucking happy about this. It's bull, and you know it. There's no positive thing about this. Moving to some Podunk town to hang out with my asshole of a brother. Sounds awesome."

I didn't really know what to say, because what he had said hit a cord with me. I wasn't sure how living in a small town would be for me either. I had been raised a true New York socialite, and the small Indian reservation of La Push didn't seem like the ideal environment for a girl like me. As for the brother thing, I wasn't so happy about Marc being here either. Marc was two years older than me, and had moved to La Push three years ago. I never new why, he just up and left one day. Mom and John never talked about it, and weren't around enough for me to really ask. When he left New York, he and I had a major falling out. We hadn't spoken for two years, and I didn't know if there was any hope for us to ever reconcile. Tommy was very defensive of me, and had taken my side after Marc and I cut off contact. Although I appreciated his support, I hate that just because of the issues Marc and I had with each other, that Tommy refused to have anything to do with Marc. Right now in his life, Tom could really use that older brother figure in his life. And unless I got a sex change, I couldn't do that for him.

And that definitely wasn't going to happen.

I bit my lip and stared at out the windshield, trying to mask my own insecurities from Tommy. He didn't need to worry about me right now. Tom had always been the strong one, and now it was my turn. "It'll be okay kid. I promise, you'll see."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"We're lost."

I growled at Tommy, refusing to admit defeat. "No, Thomas, we are not lost. We're just…taking the long way."

Tommy gave me an incredulous look before turning to fiddle with the radio. "Damn radio, doesn't get any reception up here…"

I sighed, studying the hand drawn directions that Tommy had supplied me with. "You know Tom, before we left and I said 'get the directions', I was thinking more along the lines of map quest and not a pen drawing on a napkin."

He just shrugged, still messing with the radio. "You didn't specify. Not my fault."

"Whatever…"I mumbled. Okay, so I'm supposed to take a left at the fork in the road…

"Tommy, why the hell wouldn't you put the street names down?!" I screeched, reaching my boiling point.

"You said map." He said, turning his face towards me. "And I drew a map." He gestured towards the pitiful drawing in my hands. "You're just lucky I drew it on a napkin, and not my hand."

I just glared at him. Boys can be such idiots.

"One of these days Tommy…I am going to take a stick and-"

"GAS STATION!"

Tommy's sudden outburst scared me and cause me to swerve the car. "What?! What are you talking about?!"

He pointed out to what surely was, a small gas station. The Forks Express. Well, I guess that makes sense. Forks was a small town near La Push, so at least that meant that we were close!

"Yes, yes, yes." I chanted under my breath and I turned into the station. "Okay Tom, why don't you just stay in the car and-"

"BATHROOM BREAK!" Tommy scream before jumping out of the car and bolting for the building. I placed my hands over my face. Sometimes, I swear that kid acts like he's four.

I slowly got out of the car, trying to regain the feelings in my legs. It was no short drive from New York to Washington. It had been a multiple day drive, and I was sick of hotels, and sick of driving. But there was no way I was leaving my car in New York. The thing was like a kid to me, creepy as it was. It was a beautiful, deep red BM3. It had been a gift for my sixteenth birthday, which was about six months ago.

As soon as I was sure I could walk, I made my way inside. It was surprisingly cold for a June day. I moved my hands up and down my arms, trying to create a little heat. I'm going to have to go shopping for warmer clothes once we get settled in.

A little bell went off as I entered the little store. At the register stood a short, acne faced guy who looked close to my age. I smiled, absently thinking about how different the boy was from the guys I usually went for and hung out with. I had never had many girlfriends back in New York. In the society I grew up in, it was hard to trust anyone. Someone was your friend one day, and your enemy the next. The girls especially, were vicious. I had few close friends, and the friends I did have, were always mostly guys. Now just because I hung out with guys, didn't mean I was a tomboy. I had plenty of opportunities to date, I just didn't take them. In New York, guy's weren't all that genuine. So I'd be friends with a guy…but never their girlfriend. I had never wanted to set myself up for such an inevitable heartbreak.

"Hello-" I said, walking up to the guy at the register. He was wearing a nametag that clearly indicated his name to be Evan. "-Evan."

"H-h-he-hello." He stuttered, clearly a little flustered. I smiled, cursing myself for not dressing to blend in more. I didn't think my high heels were going to fit in much here in Forks.

I tucked a strand of blonde hair behind my ear, and looked up into his eyes. Poor kid, he had a major problem with eye contact. "I'm new in town, and a little lost." I said with a shrug. "Can you tell me how to get to La Push?"

Just them Tommy emerged from the bathroom and made his way up to where I was standing. Of course, he grabbed about ten snacks on his way. The kid never stopped eating. "Hey!" I yelled back to him. "Grab me a Twix bar!"

I turned back to Evan, who seemed even more nervous than before. "W-w-ell..to g-get to La Push, you h-have to take a r-right on Hemming S-s-treet and then a left o-on Birch L-lane. Hemming Street is j-just d-down the street form h-here." He finish, pointing out the window and down the street.

"Oh." I said as Tommy dumped a huge load of snacks on the counter and Evan immediately began to scan the items with shaky hands. "Well, thank you."

He gave me a nervous smile. "Y-your w-w-welcome."

Tom was trying not to laugh at the guy's obvious discomfort. I nudged him with my shoulder, silently reprimanding him. "Geez fatty, enough food?"

Tommy nudged me back and let out a laugh. "I haven't eaten in hours. Come on, I'm a growing boy."

I laughed as Tommy paid for the large bag of food. As soon as Tommy had the bag in his hands, he ran out the door and back to the car. God, what a freak.

"Thanks again, Evan. See you around!" I called as I made my way out the door. The bell rang again as I left the warmth of the store and felt the slap of the unusually cold Washington air.

I hopped in the car and immediately started the car and turned up the heat. "Burr! Cold!"

"What?" Tommy asked, slightly confused. "It's not cold."

"Are you kidding? It's June, and it feel's like September."

"No, it doesn't."

"Yes, it does."

"No."

"Yes."

"NO."

"YES."

"Whatever…" Tommy muttered, giving up. "It doesn't feel cold to me."

"Well, maybe you're running a temperature."

"Nah." Tommy said, chuckling a little. "I've just always been hot."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Huh." I said, shutting of the engine. "This must be it."

The house Tommy and I now sat in front of was not small, but not extremely large either. It had a very…family style look to it. There were toys littering the yard of the faded yellow house, and a porch that held a few lawn chairs and a wooden swing, that I'm sure several late night neighborhood parties took place on. It looked like a real home, and not the artificial home that Tommy, Marc, and I had grown up in. Tommy seemed to sense what I was thinking.

"You ever wonder if we would have been better off if we had we never moved to New York?"

I turned in my seat to face Tom. "I don't know, the two life styles are so different. You can't really compare the city to a place like this."

"But, come on Cee. You have to think that if we hadn't grown up in such a screwed up society, where true friends were almost nonexistent and parents let their kids do whatever the fuck they wanted…that maybe we would be better people."

I snorted. "I don't think we're bad people, Tommy."

He smiled. "Yeah, but there's always room for improvement."

We both got out of the car and started up the brick path leading up to the house. I was tempted to skip up the path singing "Follow The Yellow Brick Road", but held back, not wanting to make a bad impression. I gigged at the thought, and Tommy gave me a look that said he new what I was thinking. Tommy always seemed to know what was on my mind, and this was both annoying and comforting at the same time. It sucked because I couldn't hide anything from him, but it was also nice…because I couldn't hide anything from him. As convoluted as that sounded, sometimes I had issues with putting what I wanted to say into words. And with Tom, sometimes words weren't needed.

We reached the door, and I heard Tommy take a deep breath. I looked over at my brother, even though he looked to be in his late teens, he was still young, just like me. We needed each other now more than ever, and at that moment, I swore to myself that I would always be there if he needed me. I knew deep inside, that he would do the same for me.

I knocked on the door three times. For some reason, whenever I knocked on a door, it had to be three times. No matter what. Tommy thinks I have a slight case of OCD, but I think it's just a weird habit.

Not long after I knocked, a small, lean, middle aged women answered the door. She would have been beautiful, if it weren't for the red scars the marred the right side of her face, pulling down her eye and her mouth. It reminded me of one of those masks where one side of the face was happy and the other side was sad. Whatever did that to her, I never wanted to run into.

I focused on the women's eyes, not wanting to stare at her scars and be rude. "Hello, I'm Claire, and this is my brother Tom. We're looking for Sam and Em-"

"Oh my!" The women said, eyes opening wide. "Little Clair and Tommy? No, you guy's are way to old to be my niece and nephew!"

The women, who I could only assume was my aunt Emily, rushed forward to embrace my brother and I in an awkward, double huge. Tommy laughed, and so did I. "So…" Tommy said. "You must be our aunt Emily."

Emily pulled back and smiled at us. "Yes I am! Oh I am just so excited you're finally here. I haven't seen you two since you were just babies. You're so grown up."

Emily's mind seemed to drift to the past for a moment, clearly digging up some long forgotten memory. Emily was my mom's younger sister. Apparently, they had a huge fight when I was two, and hadn't spoken since. Strange that my parents would send us here, to live with an aunt and uncle that our parents absolutely refused to talk about.

Emily snapped back into the present and continued to smile at us. "Come in, come in! You two probably aren't used to the weather yet."

Tommy and I stepped inside the house and took in our surroundings. The interior was quaint and homey, much like the outside. There were wood floors and warm colored walls, a large living room and a medium sized kitchen. The smell of lemon pledge in the air was a sign that the house had been scrubbed for our arrival.

Emily led us into the kitchen, which wasn't high tech, but modern enough. It had a dishwasher, an oven, a microwave, etc. The walls were a warm yellow color that resembled the outside of the house, only less faded.

"Are you guys hungry?" she asked as she indicated for us to take a seat.

"No thanks." I answered quietly, just having eaten my Twix bar. Tommy, on the other hand, said that he was starving and Emily immediately began to search the fridge for something edible. I just stared a Tommy, how could he eat after he just devoured that bag of gas-station snacks.

The kid never stops. Poor Emily, he's going to eat her out of house and home.

"Is leftover spaghetti okay?" Emily said, taking a Tupperware container out of the fridge, which I noticed for the first time, was massive.

"Totally." Tommy answered, busying himself with a lose string on his shirt.

"So." Emily began. "Sam and the rest of the gang are working, but will be back later tonight. They were so disappointed that they couldn't be here when you arrived, but duty calls." She laughed as she put the spaghetti in the microwave. "They will be so surprised to see how much you have grown! I still can't believe it, and you're standing right here in front of me!"

"Who's the gang?" I asked quietly, not sure who Emily was talking about.

"Family friends. You'll meet them tonight, they're coming over for dinner." Emily answered, setting the spaghetti out in front of Tommy. "Is that okay? That they're coming over? I mean, if you just want to get settled in…"

"Oh, no! That's fine! It's your house. My brother and I are just grateful that you are giving us a place to sleep." I smiled at her, and felt Tommy shake with laughter beside me. He thought it was hilarious when I was polite. He says it's a side of me that he doesn't see much.

"You're family dear, and you are more than welcome!" As soon as Emily finished her sentence two young children came running into the kitchen, a younger looking girl and an older looking boy.

"Tommy, Claire, these are my children Sarah and Ethan. Sarah is seven and Ethan is eight. Sarah and Ethan, these are your cousins, Claire and Tommy."

The two children looked at my brother and I warily, and I couldn't blame them. I would be wary of two extended family members invading my house too. "Hi." They both said quietly.

"Hi." I answered back. "It's nice to meet you both."

"Ditto." Tommy said cheerfully, still chomping on his pasta.

The kids didn't stay long, they only came in the kitchen to ask Emily is they could go to a friends house. Emily obliged, telling them to be back by six. The way Emily looked at her children made me a little sad. The look was so full of love and joy…My parents hadn't looked at me like that since I was around their age. At least Sarah and Ethan would have a better upbringing than I did.

"Okay." Emily said, clapping her hands together. "How about I show you your rooms?"

"Sounds great." I answered, actually excited to be able to see where my personal space would be during my stay at Sam and Emily's. Emily led us up to the second floor, and down a hall that had four doors. Emily pointed to the first door and said it was Ethan and Sarah's room, the second door was the bathroom, the third door was Tommy's room, which he immediately went to explore, and the fourth door was my room. Emily left me outside the door and said that dinner would be at seven, so if I wanted to take a nap or a shower, than I should do it before then. I smiled and thanked her before heading into my new room.

The room was a decent size than had two windows and wood floors. There was a bed pushed up against the right side room, and the closet and the dresser was on the other side of the room. The walls were a warm, cream color. Overall, it was nice.

In the corner of my room I could the see the multiple boxes that held the things I had sent here about a week ago. I smiled and made my way over to my stuff, enjoying the familiar smell of my jeans and sweaters.

I sighed and fell over on my new bed. Now that I thought about it, I was pretty tired. I hated sleeping at hotels, so I hadn't got that many hours of sleep this week. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and set an alarm for five, giving myself enough time to get ready before dinner. If my mother had ever taught me anything useful, it was to always make a good impression.

I rolled over and buried my face in the pillow that had been put on my bed. I was really starting to think that living in La Push would be for the better.

I just hoped that I would prove myself right, and not wrong.

_You like? Want me to continue? Let me know! Sorry if it sucks a little, I'm just getting back into writing. Comment! I'll love you forever!_


	2. Chapter 2

_So let me just say how thrilled I was at the amount of reviews that I got this past week! Ten! That it just amazing to me! I am so thankful for the positive response! I hope that you guys love this chapter, because it definitely threw me through a loop to write. I must have change my mind a thousand times before actually coming up with this. Well, I really hope you like it and continue to read and review! Thank you! _

_Disclaimer: Do I wished I owned Twilight? Psh, yeah! Do I? …no. The only people I own in this story are Tommy and Marc._

**All eyes on me**

**In the center of the ring**

**Just like a circus**

**When I crack that whip**

**Everybody gon' trip**

**Just like a circus**

"Mhhmuhrgg." I mumbled. "What in the world…?"

Why was my cell phone going off? Stupid piece of useless metal, I don't know why I even brought it to La Push. It's not like I'm going to get any reception here…

Oh, of course. It was coming back to me now, why I had set my damned alarm. The party with Sam's co-workers. I rolled over and plucked my heavily abused cell phone off the bedside table. Sure enough, the tiny screen was flashing with an alarm that I had titled Meeting the Family. I chuckled, still drowsy from my nap. Well, I better get up and claim the bathroom before Tommy can get his grubby hands on it. I hated using the bathroom after Tommy did…for obvious reasons.

Stupid boys.

I swung my legs over the side of my new bed, jumping a little when my toes hit the cold floor. I eased my feet down slowing, grumbling about the frozen tundra like weather. I didn't know that it was even possible for it to be so cold during summer.

"Alright…" I murmured to myself. "What to wear, what to wear…" My first reaction was to pick out the new A-line black skirt and a pretty navy blue blouse that I had bought before leaving New York. But that was my exact problem, I had bought this outfit for New York, and not Washington. This outfit here in La Push would stick out like a sore thumb and make it look like I was trying too hard and searching for their approval. I chuckled at myself a little, realizing that I really did want their approval.

But I couldn't let them know that.

So I threw the cute, but inappropriate outfit, back into the box that I had dug it out of. I tipped my head from side to side and bit my lip, my "thinking pose" as Tommy liked to call it, and examined the boxes before me. After a few minutes, and a few more rejected outfits, I finally decided on a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and curve hugging lavender sweater. It wasn't ideal, but it would work.

I threw the outfit hastily on the bed, noticing the increasing time, and grabbed my toiletry bag out of my suitcase. Huh, Emily must have brought my bag up while I was sleeping. How…nice. I smiled, this place was a lot different from New York.

Not surprisingly, Tommy was in the bathroom when I got there. I could here him singing "Proud Mary" through the door. How typical.

"Tommy, get out. I have to shower." I yelled over his singing as I banged repeatedly on the door. He laughed from inside. I knew for a fact that Tommy just _loved _it when I needed the bathroom when he was in it. I wasn't going to get it for a good ten, fifteen minutes. And when I did finally get it, I wouldn't want it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Twenty-seven-and-a-half minutes, one screaming match between Tom and I, and a can of Febreze later I deemed the bathroom useable. I felt bad for poor Sam and Emily, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into by taking Tommy and I in.

No idea at all.

The rest of my getting ready process had gone surprisingly smooth. My clothes had looked as nicely on as they did off, my hair cooperated with my straightening iron for once, and my eyeliner didn't get smeared on my face like usual. Everything was turning out well on the outside, but on the inside…not so well.

I was nervous. More nervous than I had even been in my life. In just about-I checked my phone-a half an hour I was about to be reintroduced to the people that I was going to spend the next year and such with. And one of them was the one person that I wanted nothing to do with anymore. At one time Marc had been my closest ally, my brother, and my best friend. I didn't know who he was anymore, and likewise, he didn't know was I was anymore. But that was his fault. He was the one who had hung up the phone and never called back, not me.

No, not me.

As for the rest of the La Push-ers , as I had named them in head, I didn't know what to expect. If they were as nice as Emily, then there would be no problem. I wasn't here to make enemies. If anything, I thought it would be really nice to make some friends. I hadn't had a real friend besides Tommy in a very long time. But in the back of my mind I couldn't help but think that maybe they wouldn't like me at all. After all, I was just the girl from out of town. Most people from here had probably been friends for…well…ever.

Fortunately, my train of thought had been interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." I called softly from the pot where I sat Indian style on the floor. I was expecting Tommy to pop through the door in his usual energetic way, but instead I was greeted by Emily. She looked lovely in a very simple way, with her faded blue jeans and her brown turtle neck sweater. She appeared to be one of those people that always looked nice, no matter what they were wearing.

"Oh, Claire. Don't you just look lovely. The boys here in La Push aren't going to know what to do with you." She said, a certain glint in her eyes when she mentioned the boys of La Push. Maybe Emily was planning to set me up with someone…

"That's the plan." I answered, giving her a shy smile.

She smiled back in return. "Well dear. I just came to tell you that the guests will be here in about ten minutes or so. I just spoke to Sam on the phone and he is just so excited to meet you and Tommy."

"I'm just as excited to meet him…and his co-workers." I snorted on the inside. It's not like I didn't want to meet Sam and the rest of the "gang", but I was much more nervous than I was excited. "I'll be down in five minutes if that's okay? Do you need any help or anything?"

Emily just laughed. "Thanks for the offer dear, but I'm fine. The rest of the wives will help me when they get here!" She called as she headed out the door. I sighed and fell backwards as soon as she closed the door. I didn't know if I could do thi-

"And dear?" Emily said, suddenly reappearing at the door. I shot up from my most likely ridiculous looking position and gave Emily a shaky smile. She had scared the crap out of me.

"Yeah, Emily?"

"Don't be nervous. Everyone, and I mean everyone, will like you. You'll fit right in, you just have to give it some time." She said with a mysterious smile on her face. It was she knew something that I didn't.

Emily left the room in a whirl, leaving a very stunned version of me behind. How had she known that I was so nervous. Was I that easy to read?

And what did she mean "give it some time"?

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

After sulking for another five minutes upstairs, I had forced a smile on my face and reluctantly trudged down the stairs. Tommy had come down before me and was seated on the couch with Ethan, in the middle of an intense game of what looked to be some bloody, war game. Both boys were grumbling under there breath and glaring at the screen. From the slight smile on Ethan's face, I would guess he was winning.

I held back a giggle as I made my way to the kitchen. I thought I would offer my help again for good measure.

But nothing could have prepared me for what I found in the kitchen.

"Holy _shit_!"

I clapped my hand over my mouth and my action was met with an amused smile from Emily. There was so much food in the kitchen that it was almost disgusting. I'm talking dozens of meatloaf's, bowls upon bowls of mashed potatoes, enough dinner rolls to fill a bathtub…

"Emily," I said, choking on my own words. "How many people are coming tonight?"

Emily didn't even seem fazed by my strange behavior, in fact, it was like she expected it. "Oh, I don't know…probably not an many as you're thinking."

Emily giggled and continued with her work while I stared dumbfounded at the feast before me. How long had she been cooking for? Hours? Days? _Weeks_?

I was about to take a seat when I realized that had forgotten to put on the necklace that I was planning on wearing. "I'll be right back!" I said over my should to Emily as I left the kitchen and raced up the stairs.

I flicked on the light of my room and dashed over to my jewelry box. My favorite silver locket was in it's usual place, glimmering in all it's glory. It had been a present from my Grandma Stacy for my fourteenth birthday. Grandma Stacy had been the only relative who was really around when I was growing up. She was John's mother, but that didn't stop me from calling her grandma. Her crazy antics and unnatural impulsiveness made it possible for a strong bond to form between the two of us. She was definitely been my favorite relative, hands down.

On my fourteenth birthday when the rest of my relatives gave me copout presents like gift cards and money, she had gotten me the necklace. At the time I had thought that no one cared enough to really look at me and realize who I was. My parent's were failures, my eldest brother had left for good, I didn't think that I had anyone left in my life who really saw me. Not as a burden, but as a young girl who needed someone to lean on more than ever. Grandma's present had been the last one to open. She handed me the small purple box and whispered for me to open it. In the interior of the box there laid the necklace, just as beautiful as it is today. The inside of the necklace was bare. "A place to keep your secrets, darling." Grandma Stacy had said. "Because I wish that I would've had a place to keep them when I was younger."

Grandma had once told me about her parents. They had been very similar to mine, too caught up the clouds to see that their daughter was falling into the ocean. I guess grandma had seen the similarities too. Unfortunately, soon after my party grandma was admitted into a nursing home. She had the beginning signs of Alzheimer's and mom and John hadn't wanted to deal with taking care of her. I used to visit her often, that is until mom and John moved her to a different nursing home in Minnesota, where she could "get more peace and quiet".

I quickly undid the clasp on the necklace and fastened it around my neck. I realized that I had zoned out for a few minutes, and that the guests were probably here.

I toyed with my hair, and straightened out my clothes before I left my room. As soon as I eased the door closed the sounds of the growing party rushed into my ears.

I tip-toed near the staircase and leaned against a wall that was just out of the line of vision of the people downstairs. As far as I could tell there were a lot of people down there. A lot of guy people that is! I tried to pick out Tommy's voice from the crowd but I couldn't, too many people were talking at once. I bit my lip when I heard one voice question where I was hiding. I almost let out a giggle, but covered it by slapping my hand over my mouth. I wonder if they knew how accurate the word "hiding" was in this case.

Deciding that eavesdropping wasn't the best way to make a good first impression, I straightened up and took a deep breath. Before I could chicken out, I stepped out onto the staircase and into the party go-ers exact line of vision.

Immediately, the melody of the voices cut out and it was like someone had hit mute. All eyes were on me, and I was sure my cheeks were more than just tinted with pink.

I walked down the staircase slowly, not wanting to fall and embarrass myself even more. The people who stood in front of my all looked shockingly alike. They all had the tannest of skin and the darkest of hair. All of them were extremely tall, extraordinarily built, and undeniably gorgeous. I felt like a fish out of water with my pale skin and fair blonde hair. All my hopes for blending in were just thrown out the window. It was like I was a moon, and well…they were all suns.

Tommy must have sensed my nerves. "Well look who decided to make an appearance?"

I glared at the lucky bastard. Of course, Thomas was already fitting in perfectly. He didn't need to worry about busting his butt to make friends here like I did. He fit right in with his tanned skin and dark eyes. How unfair was that? Why the hell was it me that got screwed over in the genetics department?

"Tommy." I greeted icily, a my jealously seeping through my words.

"Aw, ease up Claire. Everyone's gonna love you. Enjoy the party!" Tommy slung his arm over my shoulder, which I quickly shrugged off. I hated that I was being so petty, but I was just so mad how effortless this was for him.

Tommy seemed a little offended, but quickly brushed it off. "Claire, this is our uncle Sam." He gestured toward one of the taller men. Sam made his way over to Tom and I. It was strange how everyone in the room regarded the man. They moved out of his way without even seeming to think about it, and they all watched him out of the corner of their eyes…like they were waiting to take orders.

"How strange…" I mused under my breath. Tommy must have heard me because before I could stop him he had elbowed me in the side. I winced and rubbed my side gingerly. There was going to be a nice purple bruise there tomorrow.

"Jerk." I hissed at Tommy, just as Sam reached our side. I plastered on a smile for theatrical effects and turned to greet Sam, or I was already starting to call him in my mind, "the boss".

"Hello, Claire." He grunted in a deep and scratchy tone. "It's very nice to have you here."

My smile never faltered, and my mind never stopped racing. Something about Sam's sentiment didn't seem right. It sounded incredibly…forced. It was like he was…cautious of me. Emily had insisted earlier on that he was just "so excited" to meet me. If this was the man's excitement, I would hate to see him when he was bored.

"It's nice to be here, Sam. Thank you for having me."

Sam just nodded before marching back over to the opposite side of the room. Now that I saw it, most of the people in the room had gravitated to side opposite from me and my brother. I didn't know what was going on, but it didn't sit right with me. The group that stood before me were so shocking similar, and they all seemed to move with each other. It was hard to explain but…It was like there was a physical connection between all of them. If one shifted the other compensated for the action. This connection seemed to pull them all together into an unbreakable bond. Somehow I knew that this bond was something that I could never be a part of.

Tommy shook me out of my thoughts. "Claire, let me introduce you to everyone."

Reluctantly I let Tommy steer me to the opposite side of the room. I barely paid attention as Tommy rattled off names and surnames. These people made me uneasy, and that was all that I could think about as I got nearer to them. I got a few of the names, Jacob, Embry, Leah… (the only girl besides myself in the room. I was beginning to wonder where Emily was). They all regarded me with expressionless eyes, but how they looked at Tommy was completely different. It was like he had lived here forever and had always been apart of their lives. They all clapped him on the back and laughed at his charming nature. But to me, all they did was give a sour nod and a monotone "hello".

It was like I didn't exist. Wait, no, that wasn't right. It was like they didn't want me to exist. Like they didn't want me to be there.

It was like…they didn't trust me.

"Excuse me." I muttered after a while, wanting to get away from their cool nature. I considered going into the kitchen to check on Emily, but I was fearful that there were more of _them_ in there. So I opted to find my way out to the front porch, remembering the chairs that I had seen out there upon my arrival. Luckily, no one was occupying the porch when I got there. I sat down on one of the old wooden rocking chairs, hearing it groan under my weight. I needed time to think, to understand what was really happening. So I did what I always did in times of crisis.

I made a list.

First, I knew that something was different about the people of La Push. I didn't know if it was everyone who lived here, or just this group of people, but regardless…something was off about them. They were too similar, they were too…bonded.

Second, they didn't like me. It didn't take a complete dunce to figure that out. They looked at me like I was a piece of gum under their shoe. They looked at me like I didn't belong. And to be honest, I probably didn't.

Third, they scared me. Well, maybe more like intimidated me. But it wasn't that I was scared for myself, but more for Tommy. They looked at him like he already belonged. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled when I thought of the possibility of him becoming one of them. I had already lost one brother to this town, to these people…Could I handle losing another?

My list ended there, because I chose that moment to start hyperventilating. It was all hitting me now. Marc was one of them, I was sure of it. It was why he had come here in the first place, it was why he had left New York, maybe why he had left me behind…It was a distinct possibility that Tommy was going to get sucked into this…_cult_ of theirs. But what if that was what Tommy wanted? Would he want to be apart of them? Would he leave me behind like Marc had?

Would I be forgotten again?

I looked to the stars above me for an answer, and was almost blown away by their response. I hadn't seen stars in ages, the city lights didn't allow for them. Here, they shined as brighter than I could have ever imagined. It was truly…beautiful.

"Enjoying the view, Claire-bear?"

My head whipped around in search of the owner to the voice. I already knew who had uttered the words, only one person had ever dared to call me such an annoying nickname. I had only let one person get away with it.

"Marc."

Marcus emerged from the tree he had ducked behind. He hadn't changed since I had last seen him, other than maybe growing a few inches and having scruffier hair and clothes. It was just as hard, if not harder, than I had predicted seeing Marc again. I had a sinking feeling that the person standing in front of me was no longer the brother I had grown up with, but rather just his body with a newly acquired soul.

One that I didn't necessarily like.

"Why Claire-bear, you haven't changed at all. You're still angry with me, aren't you?" Marc sneered the words at me. They hit me like acid, burning away my cool façade. All I wanted to do was scream at Marc and tell him of what he had put me through. I wanted to call him a traitor and slap him until his face was numb. I wanted him to feel the pain he had put me through…all the times I had cried over my lost brother…

But instead, I chose to remain impassive. Now was not the time for an outburst, now was not the time to show weakness.

"Oh, I've changed Marcus. But I can guarantee not as much as you." I hoped my words sounded as burning as they did in my head. I wanted him to know that I hated him. That I would always, always hate him.

He just let out a peal of laughter. "Oh, I've changed Claire. I won't deny that. I've started a new life here…without you, or mom, or dad to hold me back. Do tell me though…how are the folks? I'm sure there still as useless as they always were. And how about you? Are you the wonderful New York Socialite that mom raised you to be? Or did you screw that up like we all knew you would?"

At that point, I lost my cool.

"_Fuck_ you, Marc. I don't need this." I stood up and pretended to brush the invisible lint of my sweater. "I'm aware that you never cared about me, that you never cared about Tommy-"

"Oh, I care about Tommy, Claire-bear. He's going to grow up to be just like me, you'll see in these next couple of months. You're going to lose your precious little Tommy, just like you lost me."

Marc's eyes were like fire, it was like something possessed him and was refusing to let go. I searched his eyes for something, anything that resembled they boy I used to call my brother.

But there was nothing there. There was only hate and fire. Darkness and burning.

I looked into his eyes with as much determination as I could. It was hard, but I did it. He needed to hear this.

"I hope you burn in hell for what you did to me Marc. You left me when I needed you most…you gave me up for people that you didn't even know. I was your sister…your best friend. I don't think that you can even comprehend what you did to me when you left. But I wish you could understand…because then maybe you could feel just a fraction of the pain I do."

"You want to talk about pain, Claire?" Marc took a step closer to me. "Then look through my eyes for one day, and then maybe, _just maybe_, you'll understand."

And then he was gone. It had just been one heartbeat, one blink later, and he was gone.

I collapsed on the porch, absently feeling the stinging feeling of the rough wood though my jeans. My head fell into my hands as I began to cry. As ironic as it sounded, it began to rain at that exact moment. It was like the sky was feeling the exact thing I was, like it was crying right along with me…

Before I could stop myself, I was walking. And after I gave up on stopping myself from walking, I was running. I didn't know where I was going. It was a pitch black night, it was raining, and I was in an unfamiliar town. But I wasn't stopping.

No, I didn't think anything could stop me at that moment.

I didn't know how long I ran for, and I didn't care. I didn't acknowledge the fact the I was chilled to the bone and that I was probably going to have a nasty cold in the morning. It didn't matter, none of that mattered.

I stopped running when I reached a cliff. I collapsed on my knees for the second time that night and did the only thing that I saw fitting at the moment.

I screamed.

I screamed, and screamed, and screamed, and _screamed_ until I couldn't make noise anymore.

I screamed for the brother I had lost.

I screamed for my parents who didn't care.

I screamed for way I had become.

I screamed for the friends I had never had.

I screamed for the love I had never felt.

I screamed for the brother I was about to lose.

I screamed because I couldn't do anything about it.

I screamed because, at that moment, it was the only thing that I could do.

And even when I stopped screaming, the sky did that for me. The lightning struck above me and the thunder boomed, copying my anger.

It was during that moment that I saw him for the first time. He had been an angel in the midst of the dark storm. His eyes were pools of depthless soul, and his skin was the most beautiful color I had ever seen…He was so beautiful. Too beautiful to be human, so he must have been an angel.

He was the last thing I saw before losing consciousness. But even as I let the blackness consume me, I knew that he would be the one to save me. What he would save me from, I wasn't sure yet. But I knew that he would be the one to catch my fall in the end.

And I couldn't have been any more right.

_So, I am actually shocked with myself at how dramatic this chapter turned out to be. Somewhere in the middle of this chapter the plot of this story did a 180 and we ended up here. But now that I have a rough outline of how I want to the story to turn out…I am extremely excited. I really hope that you will enjoy this story. Anyways…reviews are always appreciated. I was thrilled at the amount I got last time and am hoping for a positive response this time as well! Thank you for reading and, hopefully, reviewing!_

_Let me know what you think!_

_-Mariah_

_Oh, and ps- someone mentioned in a review last week about posting pictures on my profile of the characters. I'm going to try to do that when I can…but I always have a horrible time deciding on stuff like that. But thank you to whoever put that suggestion out there! I'll try my best!_


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